


(In One Hundredth of a Second) I’ve Known Everything Since I First Saw You

by Yun_1991



Series: By the Moon's Grace: An Untraditional ABO!Verse [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alpha Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Humor, M/M, Omega Lee Taeyong, Sorry there’s no smut here but that might change later, Soulmate - Alternate Universe, This is a bottom Taeyong household, Untraditional!ABO verse, bottom!taeyong, i’m gonna have to change the rating if I decide there will be smut, taeten - Freeform, tenyong, top!ten, well some attempt at humor I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-12 16:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18013934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yun_1991/pseuds/Yun_1991
Summary: So Ten’s not the textbook definition of an Alpha Dominant.(“Okay but does ANYBODY fit the millennia old criteria for an ‘ideal Dominant’ in the 21st century? Put your fucking hand down, Park Chanyeol, and wipe that smug grin off your bitchass face!”)He’s not that tall.(“170 centimeters is the average height for a Thai man, you just got lucky Kim Mingyu, and you’re not even an Alpha!”)He’s not ripped.(“Being lean has its advantages too!”)And his voice isn’t exactly raspy and deep.(“It’s literally 2019, why the FUCK are there STILL people who hang onto these eons old stereotypes?”)He’s just not the Alpha Dominant that most people expect.Yet the same goes for Lee Taeyong, possibly the most interesting Omega Ten’s ever laid eyes on.AKAThe 5 times Ten got mistaken for an Omega and the 1 time someone believed him.





	1. Vocabulary

**Author's Note:**

> This ABO!verse is set in the same universe as my "Airplane Mode" texting crack multi fandom fanfic, except for the addition of the ABO!verse of course. The first chapter is just essential vocabulary so that you're not confused when reading this fanfic
> 
> Title is from NCT U’s “Baby Don’t Stop”

**Wolf Status** : Alpha/Beta/Omega. Some packs that are more modernized have incorporated other ranks to distinguish those who feel they are “in between” the standards of the original three.

 

 **Wolf Behavior** : Dominant versus Submissive. The intensity of the two behaviors vary according to the status of the wolf and its human’s personality. Having a Dominant or Submissive behavior does not always dictate the wolf’s character. The environment and how the parents raise their pups also contribute to the wolf’s whole.

 

 **Heat** : Cycles of sexual frustration and/or sexual need present among Submissive wolves. Usually lasts between 3-7 days.

 

 **Rut** : The Dominant equivalent to heats. Within mated couples (and in rare occasions, wolves who are courting), the Dominant’s rut may trigger the onset of the Submissive’s heat, even if the heat does not usually fall within that wolf’s usual Heat cycle.

 

 **Scent** : The smell of a wolf that is individual to that wolf only. The scent of a wolf reveals the wolf’s status and behavior, but scents are often adjust accordingly to inform other wolves of their relationships (such as parents, mates, etc). IT IS NOT THE SAME THING AS PHEROMONES.

 

 **Pheromones** : A scent produced by the wolf in order to attract a mate. Pheromones are at its strongest during ruts and heats. IT IS NOT THE SAME THING AS SCENTS.

 

 **Scenting** : A process of exchanging scent notes in order to inform other wolves that they are either mated, imprinted, or are courting someone/being courted to. Both submissive and dominant wolves are able to engage in this practice.

 

 **Courting** : A process of scenting where the scents of the wolves who are involved in the courting intermingle with each other’s.

 

 **Mating** : Traditionalist packs continue to practice the claim mark on the neck. More contemporary packs have begun to engage in completely changing the scents of the mates or “doing as the humans do” and wear their wedding rings to indicate that they are married, but it is not uncommon to witness two of the three practices, or even all.

 

 **Imprint** : Recognizing that one is a parent or guardian in a wolf’s life. The scent of the parent wolf is faint on the ones they have imprinted on but still detectable to outsider wolves.


	2. 1. Park Chanyeol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heightened Wolf senses are a double edged sword, Ten decides, when he sees his said composition partner conveniently sitting down at a table away from them. He mischievously raises his hand and Ten can’t help another eye roll. He makes eye contact with the other Alpha and shouts, “Put your fucking hand down, Park Chanyeol, and wipe that smug grin off your bitchass face!”

Ten’s nose catches a faint but very nostalgic whiff of lemongrass, a clear reminder of home. His obsidian eyes glaze around the canteen and he spots his small group of friends tucked away in a corner table. He invites himself to sit next to Bambam with an unceremonious plop of his lunch tray. They all greet each other with smiles before speaking to each other in their native language, the cacophony of other Wolves going unnoticed.

 

With their quartet complete, the corner of the canteen begins to smell like someone had just walked into a spa in Bangkok. Lemongrass, jasmine, and Thai basil start to permeate throughout the room, despite the efforts of the latest air ventilation technology to drown out the scents of every Wolf hybrids on campus. The aromas of Thailand begin to work up the senses of the other wolves in the vicinity. Ten is almost proud to see how several Submissives as well as a number of Dominants stare at the four of them in awe. Some of them look ready to vie for Sorn and Lisa’s affection.

 

The four of them idly chatter about their days thus far. Lisa is taking a liking to her dance class. Sorn will not shut up about how being in the university’s choir makes her extremely happy (not that Ten has any qualms with hearing about the same stories she keeps repeating, especially if it makes his friend this happy). Bambam won’t stop boasting about how his ever growing fan club is — wait for it — still growing. Ten has remained quiet for the most part, which is something his friends deem to be unlike him, so Bambam speaks up.

 

“Alright,” he begins. “What’s going on?”

 

Ten gives a dismissive shrug. “Just something stupid, I guess.”

 

“Oh come on, Tennie,” Sorn coaxes. “Nothing you say will be stupid.”

 

“That’s debatable,” Lisa giggles with a shit eating grin.

 

“So you know Park Chanyeol?”

 

“Tall, velvety deep voice, music major, and extremely attractive Alpha Dom Park Chanyeol?” Bambam asks.

 

“Was it really that necessary to add that superfluous description?”

 

“Just get on with it and stop avoiding the question,” Sorn whines.

 

“He’s in my composition class. For the record, about half the class is an Alpha. And it’s a class of 100 students.”

 

“That’s a lot of Alpha energy,” Bambam gawks. “You think maybe I might be able to snag one myself?”

 

Ten rolls his eyes at his friend’s thirst to satisfy his lust before continuing. “There’s this collaboration project we have to do for a midterm assignment and Chanyeol got assigned to be my partner. Good guy, but _of_ _course_ he was hoping I was an Omega Sub and he had a hard time believing me when I said I was also an Alpha Dominant.”

 

“Well…” Sorn starts hesitantly.

 

“You’re the exact opposite of what everyone thinks an Alpha Dom _should_ be,” Bambam says bluntly.

 

“Okay but does ANYBODY fit the millennia old criteria for an ‘ideal Dominant’ in the 21st century?” Ten retorts snarkily.

 

Heightened Wolf senses are a double edged sword, Ten decides, when he sees his said composition partner conveniently sitting down at a table away from them. He mischievously raises his hand and Ten can’t help another eye roll. He makes eye contact with the other Alpha and shouts, “Put your fucking hand down, Park Chanyeol, and wipe that smug grin off your bitchass face!”

 

His friends erupt in laughter at his misfortune. Ten decides at that moment that he doesn’t know the three people who are sitting at the same table as he is.


	3. 2. Kim Mingyu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But enough about me! Ten-ssi, do you have anyone you’re dating? I bet you attract lots of Dominants!”
> 
>  
> 
> Ten stops pushing his cart. “I AM a Dominant. I’m an ALPHA DOMINANT.”

Scent filters have become an increasingly more present commodity around Seoul that Ten actually forgets that even the college student budget friendly grocery store across his apartment has installed them now too. He doesn’t deem the establishment to be yet another site for people to mistake his Wolf status until it happens.

 

Ten stands at 170 centimeters (read: that’s 5’7” for my fellow Americans). Though most of his peers are taller than him, he’s not the shortest at his university. Kim Jinhwan in his sociology class is 5 centimeters (read: 2 inches) shorter than he is. Probably not much to brag about but when you’re Ten, you take what can.

 

The incident happens when Ten has to reach up the shelf to buy Yukhei’s one of many requested snacks for him. The ghost chili chips his loud friend and roommate likes so much is at the top shelf, which has never been a problem for Ten in the past, but today is not his day. The employees have not restocked the ghost chili chips yet, and the last bag is pushed to the very back of the shelf. Ten has not had to tip toe in years to grab something, but even when he tries to do it now, he’s just a few inches shy of grasping the cursed bag.

 

Someone towers over Ten and grabs the last bag for him. As annoyed as he is that it had to take someone with a tree-like height to do it for him, he’s grateful that at least tonight Yukhei won’t start whining till dawn over a bag of chips he wasn’t able to obtain. Ten takes the bag and adds it to his shopping cart, then turns to the tall culprit.

 

_Of course. It’s Kim Mingyu._

 

Mingyu is another one of his classmates in his music composition class, and he’s one of the few Betas in there. Ten had actually wanted to pair up with him for this midterm project, but another Wolf hybrid with sharp, cold eyes beat him to it. Now that he thinks about it, Ten muses that Wolf might be Mingyu’s boyfriend, or someone Mingyu is courting, just based off the fact that Mingyu is the only person who can melt those icy eyes into warm crescents.

 

“Hi Ten-ssi!” Mingyu greets merrily. “Is your composition with Chanyeol-ssi going okay?”

 

“It’s fine,” he replies. “I assume yours is going well too?”

 

“Yeah! Wonwoo Hyung’s lyrics sound like a poem. I can’t wait to present it in class!”

 

“Oh, so _that’s_ Jeon Wonwoo-ssi, hm? You two seem very close.”

 

Mingyu’s face flushes a soft pink. “He’s my boyfriend. Well! We just started dating like a week ago, so nothing serious! Not yet, anyway! Uh, that’s what I’m hoping, I just really like him a lot, and—“

 

“Chill, I get it.” Ten lets out an amused chuckle as the two of them walk around the rest of the store to find the rest of their groceries. Ten doesn’t consider themselves to be friends since they don’t interact too much, but he’s always had a good impression of the taller male ever since he first delivered his introduction rap on the first day of class. Ten finds out that Mingyu works as a part time barista at Roasting Town. He also finds out that he’s quite adept at cooking and he’s stocking up on ingredients for this week’s meal prepping. Mingyu asks about Ten’s major, what he wants to do after graduation, how long has he been dancing, why did he take the composition class with people who had a rap concentration. The conversation eventually goes full circle when Ten brings up Wonwoo again, and Mingyu starts gushing.

 

“Hyung looks cold, but I swear, he’s the softest person ever!” Mingyu exclaims. “He likes cats and they like him back! Like seriously, I’ve never seen any cat purr and curl up to him faster than they can take a nap. It’s like he’s a cat magnet. I took him to a cat cafe for his birthday last year and he almost cried because of how many cats came to him. And he’s extremely smart. He’s always reading books. He looks so cute when he’s deep into a story while he drinks an Americano. Very chic. I think I want to marry him one day.”

 

“You’re thinking quite far ahead,” Ten comments. “Didn’t you say you two have only been dating for a week?”

 

“Well yeah, but…” There’s a newfound light in Mingyu’s eyes as he continues to speak. “I think the Moon really paired us up together. And I can’t be more grateful. But enough about me! Ten-ssi, do you have anyone you’re dating? I bet you attract lots of Dominants!”

 

Ten stops pushing his cart. “I _am_ a Dominant. I’m an _Alpha Dominant_.”

 

The fright in Mingyu’s eyes flood over and suddenly he looks small, like a puppy. “I’m so sorry, oh my god,” Mingyu says hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to assume anything! It’s just you’re so small—“

 

“170 centimeters is the average height for a Thai man,” Ten snorts. “You just got lucky Kim Mingyu, and you’re not even an Alpha!”

 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you!”

 

Ten releases a tired sigh and gives the taller Beta a pat on his arm. “I’m not offended, I’m used to this. Kind of sad to hear that from myself, but it is what it is. Don’t beat yourself about it.”

 

Mingyu nods and thanks Ten for being so gracious to him. The two classmates pay for their respective groceries and go their separate ways. Then Ten starts to think. The taller may be a Beta Dominant, but his good-natured, happy-go-lucky personality is almost stereotypical of an airheaded Beta. Had it been another Alpha Dom who wasn’t Ten, Mingyu might not have been so lucky.

 

Ten doesn’t consider himself prideful compared to other Dominants he’s met, Alpha or not. But even he has a limit to how many times he can be mistaken as a Submissive. His pride has already started to erode the moment he went through puberty and all he was told would happen to him once he was revealed to be an Alpha Dom never happened.

 

Ten arrives to his apartment and places about 6 paper bags of groceries on the kitchen counter. His nose is assaulted with the smell of Jungwoo’s heat and Yukhei’s rut, but he would much rather have that than Yukhei assaulting him with his loud mouth. The Thai Wolf makes a beeline to his room and escapes the world for a little bit as he blasts music in his room to drown out Jungwoo’s screams of ecstasy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peep that LuWoo and Meanie though


	4. 3. Hwang Minhyun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He doesn’t know that a small seedling of confidence has begun to bloom. It’s the first one he’s had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god??
> 
> This fic is receiving such high remarks and it's only been a day???
> 
> I'm so happy that people are actually reading this, giving kudos, subscribing, and shoutout to the people who bookmarked this too! This means so much to me, you guys have no idea

 

To say Ten is upset about Yukhei moving out of the apartment to move in with Jungwoo is a **_complete and utter lie_**.

 

Ten loves Yukhei with all his heart but if he can finally sleep peacefully without having to hear his friend snore (and Ten’s room is on the floor beneath him, how the fuck is Yukhei that loud in his sleep too?), he would do anything to keep it that way. Maybe now Ten will get the recommended 8 hours of sleep he so desperately needs.

 

His new roommate is a tall Alpha Dom with fox-like eyes, and from the small whiff Ten smelled before he entered the apartment, he smelled like he was in a relationship.

 

“Hey,” Ten greets the new face. “My name’s Chittaphon, but everyone calls me Ten.”

 

“Hwang Minhyun,” the other Alpha smiles. “Do you want to lay ground rules once we’re done for today? I’ve got class in an hour and I won’t be back until 7 tonight.”

 

“Yeah, no problem. Do you want me to help you with anything?”

 

“I don’t need it. I didn’t bring much except for two suitcases of clothes. And my girlfriend is helping me get the rest of my stuff from my old apartment, but thank you for offering.”

 

“You’re welcome. I’ll be back at 5 today so I can order dinner. I didn’t go grocery shopping this week unfortunately. What do you want?”

 

“I’ll text you?” Minhyun pulls out his phone and gives it to Ten, who promptly enters his number. The taller man slips it back into his jeans pocket. “I have a break at 3:30 so I’ll let you know if I want anything. That’s assuming my girlfriend hasn’t already cooked and packed dinner for me though.”

 

“You two sound like you’re an old mated couple already.”

 

Minhyun gives out a low chuckle. “Her dad hated me at first.”

 

“Really?”

 

Ten receives a nod. “He thought I wasn’t good enough for his little girl. Typical Alpha Dominant parent instincts. But her other dad shut him up the second time I came for dinner. It was hilarious. I never knew Professor Jung was so whipped for his mate.”

 

“Professor Jung? Which one?”

 

“So major plot twist: I’m mated to Jang Mi.”

 

“You mean _Professor Jung Yunho_ and _Professor Kim Jaejoong_ ’s only daughter, Jung Jang Mi!?”

 

“The one and only.”

 

“And you two are already _mated_.”

 

“Oh god, no, not like that. We didn’t go through the whole mating bite and wedding yet. But we did exchange scents. To be honest, I didn’t think I would find my mate until after college but the dance room smelled like roses every time I passed by. I’m not fond of how roses smell, but hers was subtle and pleasant enough that it didn’t smell like my grandmother’s perfume.”

 

Minhyun lets out a friendly laugh as his eyes give away that he’s extremely happy talking about his mate. Ten decides he really likes his new roommate then and there. It’s a nice change from having to hear Yukhei’s ~~(unnecessarily territorial)~~ growls every time he brings Jungwoo over, be it for a quickie (because Yukhei can't keep it in his pants to save his life) or until his boyfriend’s heat is over.

 

“What about you, Ten-ssi? Found anyone yet? Or still waiting for the right one?”

 

“I had a boyfriend before. You might know him. Seo Youngho?”

 

“Oh, you mean Johnny? He’s a friend of one of my friends.”

 

“Yeah. We dated for about three months then decided it wouldn’t work out. That was two years ago.”

 

“Are you two friends now?”

 

“Yeah. Took a while to do it though. We’re both Alpha Doms.”

 

Ten isn’t surprised when he sees Minhyun’s shock. What does surprise him though is how quickly Minhyun recovers, nods, and just _understands_ (or at least tries to to the best he can). “I see. It must’ve been hard for two assertive people to compromise and see eye to eye.”

 

“You sound like you’ve had experience.”

 

“Jang Noona is an Alpha Sub so she’s a bit more agreeable, but her whole family comes from a long line of headstrong Alphas and it’s _a lot._ So manyof her family's strongest traits has rubbed off on her. We’ve had our fair share of disagreements but we always manage to make up in the end.”

 

If he's being honest, the notion of a mate has crossed Ten’s mind before but he has never really put much thought into it. When he was younger, he had his share of crushes here and there, but Youngho was his first and only relationship. Three months of constant aggression wasn’t healthy for either of them, despite the amount of happy moments they also shared. Breaking up saved the two Alpha Dominants a lot of trouble, as well as their friendship.

 

But hearing Minhyun talk about Jang Mi so fondly _does_ make Ten wonder about his own soulmate.

He wonders if his soulmate will also be surprised to find out that he is not at all what they expected him to be. Such a thought actually dampens the Thai Wolf’s confidence — it’s why he’s so sure that he’ll probably end up alone. He’s heard of a couple stories where a fated couple didn’t work out because one mate rejected the other. They all ended with at least one of the mates committing suicide. If it was really tragic, both of them died. One from not feeling like they were good enough and the other from guilt from their actions. Can you blame Ten for being terrified?

 

“Hey, so you’re a music major too, right?” Minhyun asks, interrupting his new roommate's reverie.

 

“Yeah,” Ten replies. “My concentration is in dance, and my emphasis in hip hop. I’ve been liking modern dance a lot lately too.”

 

“Oh, so you also have to do that end of the semester final showcase, right?”

 

“Yeah. My friend Yukhei is gonna help me with that, but I need someone who can compose an original track for me.”

 

“I know two people who can help.”

 

“It hasn’t even been a day and you’re officially the best roommate I’ve ever had.”

 

Minhyun gives a laugh. “I can text them. How quickly do you need the track?”

 

“Two months.”

 

“Not enough time for Dongho-yah then. I’ll text Jihoon-ssi and see if he can squeeze you in. He’s a workaholic.”

 

“You’re friends with _Woozi_!?”

 

“Yep. I’m guessing you want him to do a track for you?”

 

“Please, it’d be a miracle.”

 

Ten decides that things can only get better from here. Minhyun may have been shocked to find out that his roommate was an Alpha Dominant, but it’s refreshing to not hear any apologies for mistaking his Wolf Rank and Wolf Status. It’s such a nice change of pace to not be asked, “Are you sure the Elder who ran your Revealing ceremony didn’t screw up for you?” and similar questions. Minhyun is not the first to accept his status and rank right away, but Ten is still grateful that he didn’t have to explain himself to him.

 

He doesn’t know that a small seedling of confidence has begun to bloom. It’s the first one he’s had in a long time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to JohnTen shippers, but at least they're good friends in this fic :)
> 
> Also, Yunho is an Alpha Dominant and Jaejoong is an Alpha Submissive


	5. 4. Jung Daehyun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You sure you can carry that desktop?” Daehyun asks for the nth time. “I don’t want you to drop it, Omega—“
> 
> “I’m an ALPHA DOMINANT, asshole,” Ten scowls.
> 
> Daehyun scoffs. “With that body?”
> 
> “What the fuck’s wrong with my body?”
> 
> “You look like a twig that’s ready to break any minute.”

Minhyun is a fellow music major with a concentration in vocal theory and application (which is also just a fancy name for singing).

 

(“Why is your major title so damn long?”

 

“Because the Dean for the College of Visual and Performing Arts told Professor Kim that a ‘singing’ major didn’t sound professional.”

 

“That’s got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard in my life.”)

 

But having Minhyun as a roommate comes with more benefits than Yukhei did, no offense to the half Chinese, half Thai Wolf. Need proof?

 

The taller Korean Alpha is not completely done moving into his new shared space with Ten. He’s already got his clothes put away in his new closet, but some of his stuff still remains at his old apartment.

 

(“What else is at your apartment? I remember you told me that you packed pretty light?”

 

“Well, yes, but I have equipment for recording songs in my old room.”

 

“Oh, well some of my recording stuff is in our studio already though, and I don’t mind sharing.”

 

“So you _don’t_ want a new condenser mic?”

 

“What’s your old apartment’s address?”)

 

Minhyun's girlfriend, Jang Mi, and her twin brother Daehyun offer to help the said fox-eyed man move his recording equipment into the in home studio. Ten realizes that all of his new roommate’s equipment is not only beginner friendly, but the quality is so fucking good that Ten decides to discard all of the equipment that he bought in his freshman year for ~~(dirt)~~ cheap at the thrift store two streets down.

 

Jang Mi is two centimeters shorter than Ten. Her willowy frame is characteristic of a female Alpha Submissive, a little on the thin side but strong nonetheless. Ten has seen her around the dance halls before and he knows her as the only daughter of Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong who dyes her hair once every month. Her hair is a soft baby pink with jet black roots right now and it compliments her sun-kissed skin well. Ten’s impression of her is good. She’s considerate without being a pushover, and she asks questions about Ten without being invasive (read: she asked what his Wolf status and Wolf behavior instead of assuming). In another world where Ten is straight, he would have thought about courting her if she was not already mated.

 

Daehyun, on the other hand, is unlike his twin sister. Sure, they share certain characteristics of each other like their sun-kissed skin and their uncanny idiosyncrasy to write with their right hand and eat with their left. But while Jang Mi is patient and more reserved, Daehyun is impulsive and rather loud. Speaking of impulsive and loud—

 

“You sure you can carry that desktop?” Daehyun asks for the nth time. “I don’t want you to drop it, Omega—“

 

“I’m an _Alpha Dominant_ , asshole,” Ten scowls.

 

Daehyun scoffs. “With that body?”

 

“What the fuck’s wrong with my body?”

 

“You look like a twig that’s ready to break any minute.”

 

“I’m just fucking lean. And being lean has its advantages too!”

 

“Yah, Oppa!” Jang Mi scolds. “Quit being a little bitch and leave Ten-ssi alone. And how about you make yourself useful and help us move shit out of the studio instead of being a useless fuck?”

 

“You PMSing today?” Daehyun teases, wriggling his eyebrows.

 

“You wanna lose your trachea today?”

 

“Is this how they always banter?” Ten asks, leaning over to Minhyun.

 

“Yep,” replies the taller male. “It’s as hilarious as it is terrifying because I dunno if Noona is joking or not.”

 

After the studio is cleaned out of its old equipment and replaced with state of the art technology that’s too good to be true, Ten can confirm that Jung Daehyun lives another day.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of this 5 + 1 adventure! Thank you for all the support that's come so far, and I hope you look out for future works in this series. I've got a JunHao piece I'm working on as well, so if you want to read that, don't hesitate to subscribe to my series.
> 
> Thank you again for reading this word vomit :">


	6. 5. Lee Jihoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then it hits him.
> 
> Soulmate. Mate. You’re my mate. My soulmate, I found you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from Ten’s song “Dream in a Dream” are used here
> 
> That song has become my studying anthem lately tbh

Minhyun’s connection with Lee Jihoon is a blessing from the Moon herself. Ten doesn’t need his track for a while, but the genius producer who is Woozi himself has already completed his track (as well as about twelve others’s) within the span of a week. Ten is excited to go into Woozi’s studio room today and start recording lyrics to go with the instrumental. He drives to the address Minhyun gave him last night with a bag of take out in his hand (his roommate suggested he bring him something since Jihoon apparently forgets to eat once he’s deep in work mode).

 

Lee Jihoon’s studio is well organized, but the scent filter is due for a fixing and the immediate vicinity smells faintly of cinnamon — warm and sweet but not without a kick of spice. Ten’s nose reads his scent as an Alpha Submissive, which he doesn’t find hard to believe since he’s heard rumors about the ruthless genius producer. (What he does find a little hard to believe is that Jihoon is smaller than he is. And he’s also quite pretty.)

 

Jihoon’s eyes land on Ten and his eyes widen slightly. There’s a flash of surprise that leaves as quickly as it appears. Ten assumes the producer caught a whiff of his scent, but before he can say anything, Jihoon shifts into full blown producer mode and ushers for the taller Wolf (finally!) to step inside the recording booth. Jihoon communicates with Ten through a mic, his voice a bit riffed with the technology.

 

“I looked over your lyrics,” he begins. “It’s a bit simplistic, but I like that it’s in English. I know we spoke on the phone and you told me you don’t want to change anything, but are you sure you don’t want to add more?”

 

Ten shakes his head. “I’m happy with my lyrics. Can I listen to the instrumental before we start?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The music is whimsical and almost dream-like. Ten hears a mix of East Asian instruments present amongst the synth and percussion. He gets a feel for the rhythm, and as if he’s on the same page as Jihoon, he opens his mouth to breathe before he starts to sing,

 

 _I’m_ _staying_   _up,_

 

_I don’t wanna come down from your love_

 

_We’ll get lost together,_

 

 _Let_ _me_ _flow_

 

 _Don’t_ _ever_ _let_ _me_ _come_ _down_ _from_ _your_ _love_

 

 _From_ _your_ _love_

 

 _From_ _your_ _love_

 

Jihoon puts a hand up and pauses the music. Ten removes the headphones from his ears and tries to not let his nervousness push through. (Although he’s damn sure his scent is giving away that he’s sweating bullets.)

 

“Your voice isn’t deep at all,” the Submissive wolf comments. There’s no malice in his voice, but the Thai Wolf is still on alert. A lot of where the misjudgments come from originate with the timbre of his voice.

 

“Is that a bad thing?” Ten asks, wary.

 

A pretty smile graces the smaller man’s face. “No. I love the tone of your voice. I think it’s quite beautiful.”

 

Ten feels his face flush a little bit. It’s rare that he gets complimented on his voice. You know, with all the Alpha Dominant stereotypes and all, hearing that somebody actually likes his voice is new to him. And he quite likes it. A lot.

 

“Thank you,” Ten smiles. “I was honestly afraid you would say something about how I wasn’t the model Alpha Dom.”

 

Jihoon lets out a small snort of annoyance, something that Ten finds himself grinning even more. “It’s literally 2019, why the fuck are there still people who hang onto these eons old stereotypes?”

 

“I can’t agree any more. There are so many people who think I’m an Omega just because I’m not 185 centimeters and I’m not ripped.”

 

“I was a bit surprised to find out you were an Alpha Dom, but I didn’t consider it impossible. Something about the way you carry yourself oozes authority. And honestly? I’m glad there’s someone like me who doesn’t conform to the stereotypes and other people’s fetishes. I’m tired of people telling me I should have ‘child birthing hips,’ whatever the hell that means.”

 

They share a smile. Ten also doesn’t stop himself from chuckling at the smaller man’s last remarks.

 

Having Minhyun sympathize with his concerns is one thing, but Jihoon actually empathizes with him, and it’s nice. Like, very nice.

 

“Do you want to sing that verse one more time?” Jihoon asks, getting down to business again. “I know this is for a dance piece and the vocals aren’t going to be the emphasis, but I know your audience would love to hear you sing more than one verse.”

 

Ten agrees with his suggestion and he goes through the verse once more. Jihoon meticulously arranges his vocals and instrumental into a cohesive song. Once they finish, Jihoon downloads the song as an mp3 file onto the Thai Wolf’s phone. Their fingers brush ever so slightly when Jihoon returns the device to its owner.

 

Ten pretends he doesn’t catch the slight blush blooming all over the smaller Wolf’s face. _Cute_ , he thinks. The thought of asking out the producer passes in his head, and he begins to toy with the idea of it. They get along well and the smaller Wolf has similar frustrations as he does. So why not shoot his shot?

 

“Can you send the next person inside?” Woozi asks, whirling his chair around a bit too hastily.

 

_Oh._

 

“Yeah. Of course.”

 

Ten is disappointed, but he also probably should have not gotten his hopes up. As nice as it was to see that the two of them have chemistry, asking out the producer probably would have been too quick anyway.

 

The Thai Wolf swings the door open and is about to let whoever is waiting on him go inside for their turn with Jihoon when the air is knocked out of his lungs and time slows down. His dark eyes land on a redheaded beauty. His large, doe eyes are a welcoming shade of dark chocolate and one of his full eyebrows has a scar. Ten also observes that his fair skin is without a flaw (but something he would like to mark with flaws). The room also suddenly smells like cool, crisp mint — the perfect compliment to his Thai basil scent.

 

Then it hits him.

 

_Soulmate. Mate. You’re my mate. My soulmate, I found you._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmmmm I wonder who Ten’s mate is :”)
> 
> Also peep that Jihoon x Ten tidbit, that’d make a cute piece


	7. +1. Taeyong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In one hundredth of a second, they knew that they would spending the rest of their lives with each other
> 
> For better or for worse,
> 
> In sickness and in health,
> 
> Till death due them part
> 
> By the Moon's Grace,
> 
> Two soulmates swore to love each other till their last breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow.
> 
> We've come to the end of this work, and I'm so happy.
> 
> I'm the type of person to start a project and then ditch it if I no longer feel any motivation to upload, but this was not the case with this piece. Thank you so much for everyone's support and I hope everyone sticks around. There will be more pieces to be added to this project.

So Taeyong’s not the textbook definition of an Omega.

 

He’s not small.

 

(He stands at 175 centimeters. Read: That’s 5’9” to my fellow Americans. That’s by no means super tall, but he’s tall enough that there’s no cute, significant height difference between himself and his partner.)

 

He doesn’t have a lithe body with curves to accommodate childbirth.

 

(Which, by the way, Taeyong worked really fucking hard to get some definition in his arms even though Omega anatomy cockblocks muscle growth, so don’t think for a second that he’s only useful as a baby factory.)

 

And his voice isn’t soft and delicate.

 

(So what if he doesn’t sound like Wen Junhui when he sings? At least give Taeyong _some_ credit for being able to rap _and_ sing.)

 

But most scandalous of all, he’s not an Omega Submissive, but an Omega _Dominant_.

 

For the most part, there’s always been a roughly equal distribution of Wolf Statuses, but certain Wolf behaviors are more apparent in certain Wolf Statuses than others. Betas are the lucky ones who have it 50/50, but most Alphas are born as Dominants. Submissive Alphas have recently begun to pop up more and more these days, but the statistics still show that 7 out of 10 times, one should expect an Alpha to be born a Dominant.

 

As for Omegas, an Omega Dominant isn’t just rare, it’s almost unheard of.

 

The rate for one to be revealed as an Omega Dominant is, and no one is joking about this, 1 out of 100,000 live births. In lay people’s terms, birthing an Omega Dominant is pretty fucking rare. And Taeyong wouldn’t say he’s unlucky, but he is rather frustrated that the last time he found comfort in a relationship, it crumbled. Did his Wolf Status and Wolf Behavior have something to do with it? Maybe.

 

So maybe not everyone is born to be a pretty Submissive whose ready to obediently spread their legs for their partner! That doesn’t mean there’s anything _wrong_ with that!

 

_And yet, Jaehyun still broke up with you._

 

Taeyong shakes his head furiously as he wills himself to shove that annoying thought out of his head. It’s been something that’s been clawing at him for a year now but the sting doesn’t hurt any less. Before his Revealing ceremony, Taeyong was so sure he would be spending the rest of his life with Jaehyun, someone he thought would be his soulmate.

 

Taeyong is two years older than Jaehyun, and he remembers being so excited when he was attending his (now ex) boyfriend’s Revealing. The Elder Wolf revealed to Jaehyun that the Moon placed him as a Beta Dominant.

 

While not completely shunned, a significant number of people still prefer to see the perfect Alpha Dom, Omega Sub couple. A Beta Dom and Omega Sub is okay too, but two Dominant Wolves together? It’s not _weird_ , but it’s not… always compatible.

 

Things with Jaehyun didn’t end bad. In fact, he’s still good friends with the Beta, but it’s his soulmate that makes Taeyong insecure.

 

Doyoung is pretty. Unfairly pretty. He has ivory skin that’s always flawless and a cute smile that shows his gums and buck teeth. Jaehyun calls him his precious bunny, and it fits. He’s the type of Omega everyone would want if he was still single.

 

How can Taeyong compete?

 

__________

 

 

It’s a month and a half before Taeyong has his final dance showcase, and he is so grateful for Woozi right now. It’s the last semester he’ll need to take his GEs (which have kicked his ass, what the fuck? Why did nobody tell him that all majors needed statistics as a GE?), and after that he can finally dedicate all of his attention to making music. Maybe he might land a job with SM after he finishes his degree. He doesn’t know, the possibilities are endless.

 

He gets to the door where the ever famous genius producer does all his magic and sees the red neon lights overhead. A faint aroma of cinnamon and the anise-laced, peppery bite of Thai basil. Taeyong checks his watch. Ah, so he’s early. He waits patiently for Jihoon to finish up with the other person in the room with a round of candy crush to pass time.

 

The door swings open right as Taeyong finishes up a level. Suddenly, the scent of Thai basil is the only thing flooding his olfactory senses. He comes face to face with a honey skinned young man with silver hair. He is slightly shorter than Taeyong is, but still taller than Woozi. Yet despite their height discrepancy, the Omega feels himself shrink under his sharp gaze. He forgets how to breathe, but he is sure of one thing.

 

_You’re my soulmate._

 

“Alpha…” Taeyong manages, but just barely, in a small whisper.

 

The shorter man blinks back, surprise conquering his whole face. “What… did you call me?”

 

Taeyong gulps nervously. Did he say something wrong?

 

“Ten-ssi, can you hurry the hell up?” Both Wolves can hear the scowl in Woozi’s voice. “Send Taeyong-ssi inside already. I’ve got at least 17 other people I also need to get through today.”

 

Reluctantly, the Wolf named Ten steps aside and holds the door for Taeyong. He holds his gaze, and the two share a small moment of bated breath before the Omega steps into the recording booth.

 

_Will you be long?_

 

_No._

 

__________

 

 

“So what’s your status and rank?” Ten asks as he walks over to the redhead with two smoothies. The Thai Wolf gestures for the beauty to take the strawberry smoothie in his left, to which the other smiles gratefully and accepts the drink.

 

“I’m an Omega Dominant,” the redhead replies. “My name’s Taeyong by the way.”

 

“Quite rare to come by an Omega Dominant,” Ten remarks. “My name’s Chittaphon, but everyone calls me Ten.”

 

“Is it because you’re a ten?” There’s a mischievous lilt in Taeyong’s voice, and a flirty smile tugs at the corner of his pretty lips.

 

Ten smirks back at him. “I can name another thing that’s a ten.”

 

__________

 

Taeyong sneaks into his house through the back door, careful to not make even the slightest sound. He doesn’t want to wake his family members from their slumber at ass o’clock in the morning. Except as he rounds the corner to rush upstairs, Taeyong sees his father sitting in the olive ottoman chair he uses to read student papers and he freezes by the staircase. His father pulls his glasses down and stands up from the chair. There’s no scolding, but there is worry evident in his voice and guilt washes over Taeyong.

 

“Care to explain where you’ve been?“ He checks his watch. “It’s almost 2:30 in the morning, Taeyong.”

 

“Appa, I’m so sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t think it would take so long.”

 

“You smell like Thai basil, puppy. Did you…?”

 

Taeyong blushes a scarlet that matches his hair. “I…” He puts his head down. “I’m sorry…”

 

“Don’t apologize for anything, okay?” His father smiles sadly and cups the boy’s face, boring into the eyes they share. “I’m just sad that my little puppy is growing up.”

 

“I’ll always be your little puppy, Appa.”

 

Another weak smile. “Go upstairs, okay? I’ll talk to your father in the morning about letting you off the hook. Just don’t do this again.”

 

“Yes Appa.”

 

Taeyong kisses his father’s cheek and scurries up to his room, careful to not wake up his siblings (why did he decide to take the room all the way at the end of the hall?).

 

Jaejoong slinks back into his shared bedroom with his husband, snuggling up to his mate’s woodsy scent. Yunho wraps his arms around him immediately, and he begins to rouse.

 

“Where was Taeyongie…?” he asks, his voice thick with sleep.

 

“He was with his mate, love.”

 

That breaks Yunho’s exhaustion. He springs upright on the bed into a sitting position, frantic at the news. “What?”

 

Jaejoong gives him a tired smile and makes him lie down on the bed. “Sleep, my love. Now is not the time to bite his head off.”

 

After all, happiness has finally found Taeyong and Ten.

 

___________

 

 

Ten’s day went like this:

 

He went to his 9 am class. Boring, as usual, but after that, someone had caught his arm he was immediately taken aback when he saw it was Jongin, the second Jung son. “Come meet me at Roasting Town after you’re done with classes.” Ten’s Wolf lurched at Jongin’s voice, but he managed to hold him down. He despised taking (unwarranted) orders from other Dominants, but he hated making a scene even more.

 

“And don’t be late. I know your last class is that composition class.”

 

“How do you know what my fucking schedule is?” Ten retorts, trying not snarl.

 

“Because Chanyeol told me.”

 

And now he here is, sitting in a corner booth in an upscale, overpriced, and bougie coffee shop, cornered by the four Jung children.

 

“I didn’t think you would be our Taeyongie’s mate,” Jang Mi begins as soon as Ten sits down. She stirs the green tea latte in front of her with a silver spoon.

 

“You know Taeyong?” Ten asks, looking up from his Americano.

 

“He’s our brother,” Daehyun answers, sitting next to his twin.

 

“Wait. _What?_ Then how come I can’t smell the same imprint scent on him like I can with the rest of you?”

 

“He’s adopted,” Sae Gyeong, the fourth Jung child says nonchalantly. He’s a lithe Alpha Submissive with pale skin and auburn hair. “On paper, his last name is Jung, but by blood, he’s actually our cousin. Appa — that’s Professor Kim to you — his sister married a Beta Dominant and they gave birth to Taeyong Hyung. But our aunt passed away from cancer and… Uncle committed suicide because he couldn’t live without Auntie.”

 

Ten’s face contorts in distaste. “That’s cruel.”

 

“But the weight of being without your soulmate is like half of you is gone,” Jang Mi reminds him.

 

“We spent some time going through the whole cycle of grief,” Daehyun says flatly. “It won’t change anything for Taeyong. They’re gone.”

 

“But he has us to call as family now,” Jongin interjects. “And as his family, if you hurt him—“

 

“Jongin,” Jang Mi cuts him off.

 

“I’m his soulmate,” Ten says quickly. “I can’t guarantee that I won’t hurt him because I don't know what the future holds, but I will know if I did hurt him before any one of you. And I’ll do the work for you.”

 

Something softens in the eyes of all four Jung children. It’s warm, inviting. They are inviting him with open arms.

 

“His favorite color’s pink.”

 

Ten looks up from the table and looks at Jang Mi with a smile. Then the flurry of Taeyong-related facts begin.

 

“He likes cooking—“

 

“But he _loves_ eating sweet foods.”

 

“He gets flustered easily.”

 

“He likes hip hop music.”

 

“He wants to visit France one day.”

 

“Please watch over him well, he’s forgetful. He’s lost so many headphones over the years.”

 

“He has Mysophobia. It’s not serious, but don’t be a slob around him.”

 

“He’s a lightweight and doesn’t take his alcohol well.”

 

“But he’s extremely cute when he’s drunk.”

 

“But above all else,” Daehyun begins soberly. He pauses, thinking over what to say, then locks eyes with Ten. “Give him all the love he deserves.

 

"And more.”

 

__________

 

 

“How old were you when you were adopted?” Ten asks one night. He’s walking Taeyong back to his house after spending the day with his mate joined at his hip. The Thai Wolf suggested they take the long way, and Taeyong had agreed. Taeyong sees it as a romantic gesture, Ten sees it as a way to understand his mate.

 

“Did my siblings tell you?”

 

“They told me last week at Roasting Town.”

 

“Sorry. We’re all protective of each other.”

 

“That’s nothing to be sorry about, Hyung.”

 

“Appa said I was barely 3 when it happened.”

 

“‘Appa’ as in Professor Kim?”

 

Taeyong nods. He gently squeezes Ten’s hand, and Ten squeezes back. “I’ve only ever seen my uncles as my actual parents. As long as I can remember, I’ve been surrounded by Daehyun Hyung, Jang Noona, Jongin-ah, and Gyeong-ah as my siblings. I never knew anything else. Hell, strangers would tell me that I look exactly like Appa and I was so proud of that. So it was a shock when I was Revealed that I didn’t have the same scents as my siblings.”

 

“I can’t imagine, Hyung…”

 

“I don’t expect you to understand, but I’m glad you’re listening.”

 

“I love you.”

 

Taeyong stops walking abruptly. He blinks at the Thai Wolf and his voice falls to a vulnerable whisper. “What… did you say?”

 

“I love you,” Ten repeats with more conviction. “And I will say it as many time as you want me to, because you deserve to know how loved you are. So let me say it again.

 

“I love you, Jung Taeyong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it to the end! If you're subscribed to this fanfic, look out for a preview of my upcoming JunHao piece. It'll be a roller coaster of emotions


	8. Bonus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boy’s name is Jung Taeyong. He is the third child of Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldn't leave this project alone without adding this part

“They’re going to take him away?”

 

This is what tips Jaejoong over the edge. It wasn’t enough that cancer claimed the life of one of his Noonas, but the loss was so overwhelming that her husband followed her into the next life. But this? This is the final straw. He refuses to accept this.

 

“We need to take him in.” There’s no room for argument in Jaejoong’s tone. The firmness and authority in his voice is a tone he doesn’t use often. He dislikes using his Alpha voice, but this is a situation he deems to be extremely urgent. Jaejoong has no time or patience for dissent.

 

Yunho understands right away. Financially, it will be tight to take care of another child, especially since his husband is expecting their fourth baby. He knows that Jaejoong is aware of this too, but this is a “no questions asked” situation. So Yunho makes a short drive to his in-law’s house where the child is currently staying at.

 

The small boy has wide, doe eyes identical to Jaejoong’s. Hell, the boy looks like a miniature version of Jaejoong himself, with the exception of a scar on his left eyebrow. This is a good thing, no one would dare question the legitimacy of the child’s relationship to them (and even if anyone did, who the fuck do they think they are?) He is adopted and accepted into the family before the boy’s third birthday.

 

The boy’s name is Jung Taeyong. He is the third child of Jung Yunho and Kim Jaejoong.

 

___________

 

 

“Wh-why don’t I smell like Hyung and Noona?”

 

Jaejoong sucks in a breath, his eyes an unreadable expression. Is it sadness? Guilt? Maybe both? Something more?

 

“Why don’t we talk about this over tea, puppy?” Yunho asks. It’s a simple but effective way to diffuse any tense situation, and it works every time.

 

The silence is heavy and Taeyong can feel himself suffocating. The notes of chamomile do little to soothe his nerves.

 

“16 years ago, my Noona lost her life to cancer,” Jaejoong begins. Both his hands and wrapped around the body of a porcelain teacup. Taeyong recognizes that his father (is he his father?) does this when he feels anxious or melancholic. “And within that same week, her husband committed suicide because the trauma of losing his mate was too much for him to take.

 

“They were never the type to sit patiently and mull over things like consequences or what could go wrong. Noona was always on the move for a new adventure, and Hyung was her partner in life who fueled their shared passion for the new. They got tired of the old quickly. The only times I’ve never seen them get exhausted about was each other, and you, Taeyong, their son.”

 

Taeyong knows he’s getting misty-eyed, but all the nerves in his body still. He is rigid, and as more of what his father (uncle?) reveals to him, the more he feels like he is in one of those movies where the audio drowns out because he is stuck in his own head. He tries to refocus his attention.

 

“In the beginning, the doctor dismissed her tumor as benign,” he hears Jaejoong say. “But then as soon as she leaves the hospital, she’s having seizures every other day and she can’t even make a simple trip to the dining table without needing something to support her. Come a few weeks later, she has to return to the hospital and then a nurse is telling us that she has astrocytema. It’s a form of brain cancer, puppy. Her spine is so damn weak that even she _wants_ to die.”

 

Jaejoong is starting to heave shallow breaths and the tears are overflowing. Reliving the memories is a process that only succeeds in making new wounds, and retell it all to his puppy is on a different level of hurt. But he can’t keep it in the dark forever.

 

“She didn’t want to live with the fact that her son would grow up visiting his mother in the hospital when she’s supposed to be the one picking him up from school and helping him with his homework. So she figured dying was a better fate.”

 

“Why didn’t she fight?” Taeyong demands. He’s sure he’s crying just as much as his uncle (father?) is right now, but there’s more resentment pooling in his stomach. How could he be abandoned like this?

 

“ _My word_ , puppy, she fought so fucking hard,” Jaejoong chokes. “When she was in the hospital, all she wanted to do was to play peek-a-boo with you and she couldn’t even do that without feeling like something was slowly killing her. There just came a point where she knew that no matter how much she fought, the cancer was going to win. She didn’t want to leave you, puppy. She never wanted to. She was so strong until the end. She just wasn’t strong enough.

 

“And sadly, neither was Hyung after she passed. I resent what he did so much, puppy, even now. But it’s not worth it. If I had dwelled on the past 16 years ago, you would’ve gone to a foster home and I wouldn’t know what would’ve happened to you after. Nobody would have. So we adopted you as quickly as we could and brought you into our family.”

 

“But you never imprinted on me,” Taeyong spits. His hands ball up into fists, trembling.

 

“The customs for Wolves have started to assimilate to something similar to human methods, so no one would have thought twice as soon as they saw your surname,” Yunho explains calmly. “That’s the reason why you’re a Jung.”

 

“Besides,” Jaejoong continues after dabbing his wet eyes dry with a tissue. “This conversation had to come up eventually.”

 

It’s bullshit, Taeyong thinks. All he’s known turns out to be an illusion to him. So he was abandoned by his birth parents. He lives a lie for the next 16 years. Come his 18th birthday, he is not revealed to be an Alpha like the rest of his “family.” And instead of of the best day of his life, he’s dropped with this bomb.

 

“Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

 

“Why add more tragedy to the story so early on?” Jaejoong sighs. “Besides, if I had lost my parents before I could even remember, the only thing I would want is a family. If the least we could do was offer you that, then that is what we’ll do. And we did. I never once saw you as someone lesser to take care of, puppy. You may be my nephew by blood, but you’re every bit our child like Daehyun, Jang Mi, Jongin, and Sae Gyeong.”

 

Taeyong’s dam of tears break and he finds refuge in his parents’s arms. They squeeze him in their embrace and pepper his moist face with kisses, but it is Jaejoong’s last words that gives him the reassurance he needs.

 

“And no matter, we don’t ever want you stop calling us your fathers.”

 

__________

 

 

Taeyong stands in front of two gravestone markers. He kneels down and places a small bouquet in the space between them before taking a seat on the grass.

 

“So this is where you ran off to.”

 

Taeyong doesn’t need to turn around to find out who it is. The sound of his mate’s tenor voice gives him an additional layer of assurance he didn’t know he needed.

 

Ten places his own bouquet of flowers right next to Taeyong’s before he sits down next to him. He looks around the cemetery. It’s a more open space with lush, green grass and a cool spring breeze. The Thai Wolf leans back and breathes it in, savoring the fresh air. A comfortable silence shrouds over them.

 

“How long have you been coming here to visit them?” Ten finally asks.

 

“Three years ago,” Taeyong answers.

 

Another comfortable silence befalls them. Ten brings his mate’s head to rest on his thigh. Here he can get a better view of Taeyong’s tired face. His already pale complexion seems to continue to grow paler and his eye bags have deepened from a lack of sleep. Ten know he’s trying to mask it with concealer, but the hint of blue from the shadow is peeking through.

 

“Did you go to sleep late again?” Ten asks.

 

“Couldn’t sleep at all last night,” Taeyong admits. “Coming here never gets any easier.”

 

Ten has memorized a lot of things over the course of the two years they are spending together as a couple (as vice versa for Taeyong). It started with all the little facts his siblings threw at him when they dragged him to Roasting Town. Then he started to memorize his mate’s habits. Then it was his class schedule. Then after he graduated, it was his work schedule and lunch breaks.

 

Now it’s the days he requests off from work.

 

“How did you know I was here anyway?” Taeyong asks quietly, instinctively closing his eyes when Ten starts to stroke his hair. “I never told you about this place.”

 

“Jongin-ah told me.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Are you mad about that?”

 

“Not at you. This just means that I need to shut my little brother up before he starts revealing all my deepest and darkest secrets to you.”

 

Ten laughs and continues to stroke his mate’s hair, even as he turns his attention away from the beauty resting on his thigh. The Thai Wolf takes a moment to read the names on the grave markers and he smiles when he sees the surname of his mate’s biological parents.

 

“Love?”

 

“Mmn…?” The older Wolf’s voice is starting to become husky with sleep.

 

“Did ever I tell you that I have a Korean name?”

 

Ten feels a slight shake on his thigh. He assumes that’s a no.

 

“My Korean name is Lee Young Heum.”

 

Taeyong reluctantly opens his eyes once Ten removes his hand from his hair. The Omega lets out a small whine of protest that has the both of them chuckling.

 

“You have a nice Korean name.”

 

“I much prefer yours.”

 

“Consider me flattered.”

 

Ten’s smile tugs wider and they both stand up. They walk towards the parking lot, hand in hand to Ten’s car.

 

(“How did you even get to the cemetery, by the way? You didn’t bring your car.”

 

“I walked.”

 

“From where?”

 

“CreativiTEA.”

 

“Baby, that’s a 30 minute walk.”

 

“I need the exercise. I’m getting fat.”

 

“Pfft. You’ll always be perfect to me.”

 

“Ew, gross.”

 

"Hey, you love me.")

 

Ten usually opens the door for Taeyong first before he gets into his seat. It’s a gesture that Taeyong finds old-fashioned, but he appreciates that his mate is just trying to be a gentleman. However, Ten doesn’t open the door for him this time. Taeyong looks at him questioningly. The Thai Wolf returns his gaze with endearing eyes.

 

Then he drops to one knee and Taeyong’s eyes widen.

 

“We’ve never been a conventional couple,” Ten begins. “But when did we ever think being a conventional couple would fit us? We’re two Dominants in a relationship but somehow we made it work.”

 

Taeyong giggles and lightly hits his shoulder. “Because our Statuses even it out.”

 

“Love, I know.” Ten chuckles. “But if there’s one conventional thing I would want from our relationship is the chance for me to be there by your side for eternity. For me to have children with you. To grow old with you. To love you forever till death due us part.

 

“So Jung Taeyong, may I ask you a question?”

 

Ten pulls out a navy blue velvet box and opens it to reveal its contents: a princess cut diamond ring with a copper band.

 

“May I be the reason why you are Lee Taeyong once more?”


	9. Preview: Know Your Place (It's Right Next To You) [JunHao]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying till the end of TaeTen's (part 1) story. Below is the summary + a preview of the JunHao piece I have been working on.

Junhui and Minghao are so in love with each other and they are so in love with each other that they could put any Disney couple to shame (except for Mulan and Li Shang, Junhui has to add quickly. Nobody can power couple them off from the top. Minghao disagrees with that statement but he will never say that outright if it will make his mate unhappy.) So when the news that Junhui is expecting occurs, Minghao should be ecstatic.

 

Except that he’s not.

 

**AKA**

 

The 5 times Junhui dodges the pregnancy subject and the 1 time he finally confronts it.

 

___________

 

“What’s been going on, _baobei_?” Minghao coos. “It’s not like you to be this quiet.”

 

“I-I don’t know,” Junhui admits. “I’ve just been feeling like crap lately. This whole week has been really bad. Professor Jung tore apart my choreography so I have to make a new one for the final showcase, I failed my chemistry midterm, and I burned the _xiaolongbao_ we were supposed to eat for dinner tonight.”

 

Minghao hushes him once again and rubs comforting circles on his hips. “Breathe, _baobei._ You don’t have to push yourself to the edge, you know that, right? I know how selfless you are, love, but be a little selfish sometimes. You need to take breaks too.”

 

Minghao cradles Junhui’s head and tilts it down to kiss the crown. Normally this has the older Wolf preening happily, but the frown is still plastered on Junhui’s face.

 

“Jun _ge_?”

 

“It’s nothing, Haohao,” the elder wolf says dismissively.


	10. Other Projects

To read the rest of the installments, click these links:

 

1\. TaeTen's Story (NCT) [You are Here]

2. [JunHao's Story (Seventeen)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18092291/chapters/42766907)

3. [FanXing/Kray's Story (EXO)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18173423/chapters/42982097)

4. [YunJae's Story (DBSK/TV5XQ)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18243494/chapters/43165745)

5\. [TaeTen's Spinoff Story (NCT)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579643/chapters/44044738)


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